The combined effects of persistent above normal temperatures and minimal precipitation continuing from late April 2026 resulted in mounting drought impacts across portions of southeast AR. S Drought Monitor.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS JAN wrote it up.
The combined effects of persistent above normal temperatures and minimal precipitation continuing from late April 2026 resulted in mounting drought impacts across portions of southeast AR. Through the month of June, D3 (Extreme Drought) and D4 (Exceptional Drought) conditions expanded to affect Ashely and Chicot Counties as depicted on the U.S Drought Monitor. Average temperatures for the month ranged from 2 to 4 degrees F above normal, and several daily temperature records were set especially late in the month. Observed precipitation values ranged from 50 percent of normal to lower than 25 percent of normal. Soil moisture values continued to worsen through the month, with subsoil moisture values between 10 to 30 percent below normal for much of the affected area. This placed a severe stress on pastures for livestock and began to reduce expected yield from row crops. Streamflows on creeks and rivers were reduced.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Jackson, MS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 11:38 PM CST, 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Jackson MS 1238 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026 ...New AVIATION... .KEY MESSAGES... - There is a limited threat (level 1/4) for dangerous heat with heat index values peaking near 105 for the remainder of today and again Monday. - Thunderstorms may bring severe weather threat (level 1/5) today through Tuesday with damaging winds being the primary concern during the afternoon and evening hours. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 315 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026 This afternoon through tonight: There is a marginal risk for isolated severe storms roughly along a peak instability axis (mixed layer CAPE > 4000 j/kg) extending from southern AR through central to southeast MS. Disorganized convection is gradually increasing along this axis with continued heating of the very moist boundary layer, but conditions aloft (anticyclonic and subsident) associated with a subtropical stream ridge, are not supportive of this activity becoming more than isolated in coverage. Given the hot sfc conditions with high theta-e values leading to steep low level lapse rates and big overall CAPE, there is a conditional risk for a few pulse type severe storms to develop late this afternoon into early evening. After a lull in the action overnight, we'll see the threats reemerge Monday afternoon into the evening. The difference tomorrow however is that storms will be more likely to organize into a convective system due to favorable shear/boundary interactions and high levels of instability and boundary layer moisture convergence. Once it becomes more obvious when/where the storm organization will occur, we'll most likely need to upgrade severe categories to slight (level 2/5) or perhaps even enhanced (level 3/5) in localized areas. As of now, uncertainty is too great to go more than marginal (level 1/5) per SPC. The threat for storms will continue into Tuesday over southern portions of the area where the coverage should be confined. Otherwise, heat stress will continue to be a concern (limited threat - level 1/4) over mainly western/southern portions of the area, peaking Monday afternoon, and then like the storms, becoming more confined over southern portions of the area Tuesday ahead of an approaching cold front. /EC/ Tuesday night through Saturday: It is becoming more certain that a backdoor front will bring a few days of relief across most of our area from the increasing heat stress, with dewpoints dipping into the 50s and 60s and low temps deep into the 60s over most of the area Wednesday and Thursday. This will also curtail rain chances each day. Low level moisture will steadily begin to recover from west to east Friday into Saturday with a resurgence of 70s dewpoints and mainly diurnal convection by next weekend. /DL/ && .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 1238 AM CDT Mon Jun 1 2026 VFR ceilings will prevail across all TAF sites to start off the TAF period. VFR conditions will prevail across the area through the overnight period. HBG, PIB, and HEZ will briefly drop down to MVFR/IFR categories for one to three hours due to scattered low stratus and patchy shallow ground fog. By late Monday morning, ceilings across southern TAF sites will improve to VFR. VFR conditions will prevail across the area by early afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Jackson 93 73 89 67 / 30 40 30 0 Meridian 93 72 88 65 / 40 40 50 10 Vicksburg 93 74 90 68 / 10 20 20 0 Hattiesburg 93 73 91 68 / 40 20 60 20 Natchez 94 74 92 69 / 20 10 40 10 Greenville 93 73 88 66 / 10 50 10 0 Greenwood 93 72 88 64 / 20 70 10 0 && .JAN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MS...None. LA...None. AR...None. && EC/DL/CR
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Jackson MS
808 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026
MSZ049-010145-
Rankin MS-
808 PM CDT Sun May 31 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN RANKIN COUNTY
THROUGH 845 PM CDT...
At 808 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Whites, or near Florence. This thunderstorm was nearly stationary.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern Rankin
County.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
High winds can bring down trees and large limbs resulting in serious
injury or property damage. Exercise extreme caution when outdoors
during such strong winds...and be especially aware of older trees.
&&
LAT...LON 3205 9019 3214 9018 3213 9008 3205 9007
TIME...MOT...LOC 0108Z 287DEG 2KT 3208 9014
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
19The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions in Ashely County intensified from D3 (Extreme Drought) to D4 (Exceptional Drought) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Drought conditions in Chicot County intensified from D3 (Extreme Drought) to D4 (Exceptional Drought) as depicted on the U.S. Drought Monitor.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Arkansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Arkansas, June 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1356501, 1356502.